Effective Practices for Training Parents in Family Discipleship: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

The churches concern for the youth and children is not a new concern. This concern has been a topic of the church for many generations. The church has responded in the past by establishing programs such as Sunday school and youth group. Of more recent years, the church has sought ways in which to raise the perception of the parents in the church. Some churches have taken strides in an effort to raise the awareness of the parents' responsibility in the home, and others to raise the awareness of the possibilities available at church.

This two-phase sequential mixed methods study explored the best practices for training parents for household family discipleship among churches identified as holding, and conducting, a family ministry approach. The first phase of this study quantitatively surveyed parents to determine the practices and perceptions within the home. The second phase of this study qualitatively explored the practices and customs of the identified churches to better understand which practices may or may not be most effective in training parents for household family discipleship.

The quantitative data were collected via an online hosting company, and the results then run through a variety of analysis such as Pearson's r, ANOVA, and a full regression analysis. The data indicate that the better a parents' perception of their role as the primary discipler, the more frequent the discipleship practices. Overall, 7 specific practices were identified through the qualitative data collection as being effective practices to train parents in household family discipleship.

KEYWORDS: family discipleship, family ministry, family integrated, family equipping